COMPARE TREATMENTS

Effective | Non-Surgical | Drug-Free | Pain-Free

You Have Options.

At Olympic Spine & Sports Therapy, we give our patients options. There are several avenues of treatment that can be explored, and we will be here every step of the way to ensure you find the relief you’ve been searching for. Read about each treatment below to learn about their pros and cons.

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

Pros

Very High Success Rate

Painless—many patients fall asleep during treatment

Drug free

Very Safe: Virtually impossible to end up worse than where you started

1/10th the cost of most surgeries

Can help with many conditions that other treatments, such as surgery, chiropractic and physical rehabilitation, can’t help with

Cons

A very small percentage of patients see no difference after treatment, but they don’t end up any worse off

Surgery

Pros

Some patients experience permanent pain relief

Cons

Risky: Surgery is truly a last resort as there is a chance you could end up worse off afterwards

Low Success Rate: Many procedures have less than a 50% success rate

Painful and Long recovery time

Very Expensive

Pain Pills

Pros

Immediate pain relief

Cons

Not a Lasting Solution: It is similar to taking a pain killer to deal with a tooth ache caused by a cavity, no amount of pills will fix the cause of your pain (the injured or degenerated disc)

Without the pain, you are more likely to re-injure yourself

According to WebMD, 16,500 people die and 103,000 people are hospitalized each year because of NSAID-related problems

Nerve Blocks

Pros

Immediate pain relief

Cons

Gives only temporary relief

Not a Lasting Solution: It is similar to taking a pain killer to deal with a tooth ache caused by a cavity, no amount of pills will fix the cause of your pain (the injured or degenerated disc)

Without the pain, you are more likely to re-injure yourself

Very expensive

Physical Rehabilitation

Pros

Can sometimes provide permanent pain relief

Low Risk

Cons

Low success rate with chronic and lingering conditions

Treatment can take months, if not years

Traction

Pros

Some patients experience relief

Cons

Rarely Effective: The body naturally resists having the spine pulled on by tensing up. The act of tensing up the muscles typically keeps the disc from being stretched which is what is truly needed for the disc to heal

In some cases the battle between the body and the traction pull can make conditions worse

Bed Rest

Pros

Sometimes works

Cons

Puts your life on hold for months at a time

Can make your condition worse due to muscles becoming weaker due to lack of use. Weak back muscles make it more likely for you to re-injure yourself

Do Nothing or Wait it Out

Pros

Sometimes works

Cons

Puts your life on hold for months at a time

Can make your condition worse due to muscles becoming weaker due to lack of use. Weak back muscles make it more likely for you to re-injure yourself

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

Pros

Very High Success Rate

Painless—many patients fall asleep during treatment

Drug free

Very Safe: Virtually impossible to end up worse than where you started

1/10th the cost of most surgeries

Can help with many conditions that other treatments, such as surgery, chiropractic and physical rehabilitation, can’t help with

Cons

A very small percentage of patients see no difference after treatment, but they don’t end up any worse off

Surgery

Pros

Some patients experience permanent pain relief

Cons

Risky: Surgery is truly a last resort as there is a chance you could end up worse off afterwards

Low Success Rate: Many procedures have less than a 50% success rate

Painful and Long recovery time

Very Expensive

Pain Pills: Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

These drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen (e.g., Advil and Aleve)

Pros

Immediate pain relief

Cons

Not a Lasting Solution: It is similar to taking a pain killer to deal with a tooth ache caused by a cavity, no amount of pills will fix the cause of your pain (the injured or degenerated disc)

Without the pain, you are more likely to re-injure yourself

According to WebMD, 16,500 people die and 103,000 people are hospitalized each year because of NSAID-related problems

Nerve Blocks/Spinal Injections

Pros

Immediate pain relief

Cons

Gives only temporary relief

Not a Lasting Solution: It is similar to taking a pain killer to deal with a tooth ache caused by a cavity, no amount of pills will fix the cause of your pain (the injured or degenerated disc)

Without the pain, you are more likely to re-injure yourself

Very expensive

Physical Rehabilitation

Pros

Can sometimes provide permanent pain relief

Low Risk

Cons

Low success rate with chronic and lingering conditions

Treatment can take months, if not years

Traction

Pros

Some patients experience relief

Cons

Rarely Effective: The body naturally resists having the spine pulled on by tensing up. The act of tensing up the muscles typically keeps the disc from being stretched which is what is truly needed for the disc to heal

In some cases the battle between the body and the traction pull can make conditions worse

Bed Rest

Pros

Sometimes works

Cons

Puts your life on hold for months at a time

Can make your condition worse due to muscles becoming weaker due to lack of use. Weak back muscles make it more likely for you to re-injure yourself

Doing Nothing or Waiting it Out

Pros

Sometimes works

Cons

Puts your life on hold for months at a time

Can make your condition worse due to muscles becoming weaker due to lack of use. Weak back muscles make it more likely for you to re-injure yourself

*Please note that any medical information on this website should not be substituted for professional medical advice. Please consult with a health care professional.